| Howe Barracks | |
|---|---|
| Canterbury | |
 Howe Barracks | |
  Howe Barracks Location within Kent | |
| Coordinates | 51°16′46″N01°06′04″E / 51.27944°N 1.10111°E |
| Type | Barracks |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Ministry of Defence |
| Operator |  British Army |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1930s |
| Built for | War Office |
| In use | 1930s-2015 |
| Garrison information | |
| Occupants | 3rd Bn Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment |
Howe Barracks was a military installation in Canterbury in Kent.
Permanent barracks were first established in Canterbury when William Baldock initiated construction of "St Gregory’s Barracks", an infantry barracks on Sturry Road, as part of the British response to the threat of the French Revolution, in 1793. [1] Sir Edward Hales completed construction of the cavalry barracks slightly further up Sturry Road in 1795 and artillery barracks were built on land between these sites around the same time. [1] In 1873 a system of recruiting areas based on counties was instituted under the Cardwell Reforms and the barracks became the depot for the two battalions of the 3rd (East Kent) Regiment of Foot. [2] Following the Childers Reforms, the regiment evolved to become the Buffs (East Kent Regiment) with its depot in the barracks in 1881. [2] These 18th century barracks fell into a state of disrepair in the early part of the 20th century, were withdrawn from use in the 1930s and were ultimately demolished in 1967. [1]
New barracks were established on a new site, half a mile to the south-east of the old barracks, during the 1930s: these barracks became the new home of the Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment). [3] They were named after Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Howe, a former commanding officer of the Buffs, [4] and went on to become the regional centre for infantry training as the Home Counties Brigade Depot in 1960. [5] They also became the depot and Regimental Headquarters for the Queen's Regiment in 1966, [6] for the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment in 1992 [7] and for the 5th Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Scotland (the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) in 2003. [8] The Queen visited the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders at Howe Barracks in Canterbury in June 2013 to mark their relocation to Scotland. [9] The barracks were also the home of reservists serving with 3rd Battalion Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment. [10] The barracks closed in February 2015. [11]
The Infantry of the British Army comprises 49 infantry battalions, from 19 regiments. Of these, 33 battalions are part of the Regular army and the remaining 16 a part of the Army Reserve. The British Army's Infantry takes on a variety of roles, including armoured, mechanised, air assault and light.
Options for Change was a restructuring of the British Armed Forces in summer 1990 after the end of the Cold War.
The hackle is a clipped plume or short spray of coloured feathers that is attached to a military headdress, with different colours being associated with particular regiments.
The Highlanders, 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.
The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's) is a light infantry company (designated as Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland) and was a line infantry regiment of the British Army that existed from 1881 until amalgamation into the Royal Regiment of Scotland on 28 March 2006.
The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment), formerly the 3rd Regiment of Foot, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army traditionally raised in the English county of Kent and garrisoned at Canterbury. It had a history dating back to 1572 and was one of the oldest regiments in the British Army, being third in order of precedence (ranked as the 3rd Regiment of the line). The regiment provided distinguished service over a period of almost four hundred years accumulating one hundred and sixteen battle honours. In 1881, under the Childers Reforms, it was known as the Buffs (East Kent Regiment) and later, on 3 June 1935, was renamed the Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment).
The Queen's Regiment (QUEENS) was an infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1966 through the amalgamation of the four regiments of the Home Counties Brigade. Then, until 1971 the regiment remained one of the largest regiments in the army, with 10 battalions, however these were reduced to just six, and later five battalions. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Options for Change reform was published and the regiment amalgamated with the Royal Hampshire Regiment to form the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment.
The Queen's Own Buffs, The Royal Kent Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army from 1961 to 1966. Its lineage is continued by the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment.
The Scottish Division was a British Army Infantry command, training and administrative apparatus designated for all Scottish line infantry units. It merged with the Prince of Wales' Division, to form the Scottish, Welsh and Irish Division in 2017.
The British Army primarily divides its infantry into regiments, which are subdivided into battalions. However, for various reasons, since the end of the Second World War it has also maintained companies that are intended to provide increments and reinforcements.
The Royal Regiment of Scotland is the senior and only Scottish line infantry regiment of the British Army Infantry. It consists of three regular and two reserve battalions, plus an incremental company, each formerly an individual regiment. However, three regular battalions maintain their former regimental pipes and drums to carry on the traditions of their antecedent regiments.
The 26th Infantry Brigade was the name of two British Army formations during the First World War and Second World War.
The Home Counties Brigade was an administrative formation of the British Army from 1948 to 1968. The Brigade administered the regular infantry regiments of the Home Counties of south east England.
In countries whose armies are organised on a regimental basis, such as the army of the United Kingdom, a regimental museum is a military museum dedicated to the history of a specific army regiment.
A large regiment is a multi-battalion infantry formation of the British Army. First formed in the 1960s, large regiments are the result of the amalgamation of a number of existing single-battalion regiments, and perpetuate the traditions of each of the predecessor units.
The regimental depot of a regiment is its home base for recruiting and training. It is also where soldiers and officers awaiting discharge or postings are based and where injured soldiers return to full fitness after discharge from hospital before returning to full duty. Normally, a variety of regimental stores will also be kept at the depot. The regimental depot is not the same as the regimental headquarters, though in practice the two will often be co-located in the same place.
During the First World War the British Armed Forces was enlarged to many times its peacetime strength. This was done mainly by adding new battalions to existing regiments. Although sometimes identified by shoulder titles, generally the new battalions could not be identified from appearance. Consequently, the units in this list have been assembled considering only those as having a uniquely different cap badge.
Invicta Park Barracks is a military installation in Maidstone, Kent.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)